St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-24
A VIEW OF MEE0RA.

never had any difficulty with that
class of citizens. In putting up
the fence no regard was had
to the many ''pony trails" over which
the most of the travelling was done, and,
especially by the hunters, this was con-
Sidered an invasion of their rights.
Many of the remarks made by the hunt
erS were carried to the marquis by med
dleSome tale-bearers and magnified as
much as possible. The replies of the
marquis were in turn reported to the
hunters until one of them, named Frank
O'DOnnell, said-when he was so drunk
that he did not know whether he was
''afOOt or hOrSeback"-that he would
mark was Immediately repeated to the
marquis, and he proceeded to swear out
a warrant against O'DOnnell for the
purpose of binding him over to keep the
peace. The nearest court was in Man.
dan, $50 miles away, and the consequent
delay only served to heighten the ill
feeling, as the hunters were kept fully
advised of the action taken. O'Donnell,
accompanied by two other hunters,
Luffsey and ''Wanegan," was in town
when the sheriff arrived and, as usual.
was badly under the influence of
''valleyton." He laughed at the sher-
iff, detied him to serve the papers, and,
with his two companions, started for
The marquis, with two employees, in eX-
pectation of O'Donnell's action, had
gone ahead. There followed an am
bush; some say laid by the marquis;
others say by the hunters. There was
an exchange of shots. At its close
Luffsey, who was general favor
lite, was dead. Out of this
has grown the many stories of the
marquis bravery, and from him must
. be taken the glory of having KILLED his
man." He had 5O-95 express rifle,
while Luffsey was killed by 1850 Win
chester, discharged by one of his hired
men.
The facts in this episode were well
known by Won Hoffman. and often
used as
SOURCE OF UNFAvoRABLE COMMENT
on the actions of his head-strOng son-in-
law. 1t was the entering wedge, show
ing that the conduct of affairs was in
unsafe hands. AS result of this growing
belief the baron again came to Medora.
He was accompanied by the baroness
and the marquise. all intent, apparently,
on a reconciliation. But the white
winged peace that they longed for
never came" There were now two, in
stead of one, making discordant music
on the hill. The baron had another
enlargement of the spleen when he
found that the marquis had spent $780,
600 in stage line, and the baroness,
when not smoking like a Mississippi
steamer, was telling the marquise what
a useless husband she had, or urging
the baron to ''leaf your sohn-in-law go
to der duyvel." 1t was pleasant house
| hold. very. The marquis had a bed
| room fitted up in his Medora office, and
| used it as a standing menace to the
squatters ON the hill that he would
leave them severely alone unless they
stopped their prosecutions. Strange as
| 1t may seem. the peacemaker was in
variably the baron, for the baroness
| was always open and bitter in her de-
nunciationS, and the marquise, being
constantly with her mother, was con-
| sidered her ally by the marquis.
But the crowning thorn in the side of
! the marquis was to come when he was
compelled to deed over the entire prop
erty of the Northern Pacific Refrigera-
tor Car company to the baron. Hitherto
| the apparent ownership had been with
| the marquis and nearly everyone sup
| posed he was spending his own money.
! This transfer, involving an immediate
loss of credit to the marquis, made him
| fairly desperate, and few violent
scenes in the house ON the hill
| induced a speedy removal of all
the family and servants, ex-
| cept the marquis, to New York.
In the spring of 1885 the Marquis made
Preparations to enlarge the business, of
! which he was still president, in every
way. His first move was to contract for
beef cattle for future delivery-paying
for one bunch, to Col. Simpson, $50, coo
more than the same cattle would have
cost delivered in Chicago. He also made
arrangements with that cattle king at
the same time to take, with their re-
Spective families, a long hunting trip to
the Big Horn mountains. But there
were
NO FLIES ON THE Willy COLONEL,
and, so soon as he had the contract for
the cattle signed and sealed, he hied
him to his Texas home, and no entreaties
or threats were afterwards strong
| enough to induce him to come north.
But the marquis went on with his prep
aratiOns for the hunting trip, and was
as happy as school boy when his wife
finally consented to go. She arrived in
Medora, but, horror of horrors, the
baron came also. About this time,
toto be historically correct-Col.
Simpsons cattle came also. And such
cattle! Except for the few that were
old enough to vote, every solitary head
was a Texas ''rawhide," which had
| spent the preceding summer in tramp
ing up from its Southern home. There
wasn't enough fat in their united car
casses to grease griddle for one flap
| jack. There was no recourse. They
had to be accepted. The contract did
not specify ANYTHING about the